Control for water softening apparatus



June 18, 1957 B. H. KRYZER 2,796,177

CONTROL FOR WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed May 10, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l array/viz June 18 1957 B. H. KRYZER 2,796,177

, CONTROL FOR WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed May 10, 1954 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ha. I 46 United States PatentO CONTROL FOR WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS Benjamin H. Kryzer, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to The Lindsay Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May 10, 1954, Serial No. 428,713

4 Claims. (Cl. 210-275) softener of the class described semi-automatic controls including a time control adapted to be selectively set manually to cause either a regeneration operation or a backwashing operation to continue for a pro-selected period of time, at the end of which the apparatus is returned to water softening operation automatically.

The invention also includes certain other novel features of construction which will be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example and not for the purpose of limitation, one embodiment of my invention:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing my improved control in operative relation to a water softener of common type;

Fig. 2 is a part top plan view and part sectional view showing the casing and actuating plunger of my semiautomatic time control valve;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, and also showing a portion of the time control and latch mechanism in section;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the valve mechanism in the position for backwashing operation.

As shown in Fig. l, the water softener is of the common type having a tank 6 containing a body of water softening material and a top closure 7 for an opening through which regenerating material, usually common salt, is charged into the tank when regeneration is required. My valve control mechanism comprises a semi-automatic valve indicated generally by the numeral 8 and a manually operable valve indicated at 9 and having a handle 10. The valve 9 has ports which are connected respectively to the upper portion of the tank through fittings 11, to a source of hard water to be softened through a pipe 12, and to a drain outlet 13, preferably comprising a hose. The valve 9 is connected to the valve 8 by pipes 14 and 15. In one position of the valve 9 hard water from the pipe 12 is caused to fiowto the upper portion of the tank through the fittings 11 and liquid conducted by the pipe 15 is caused to flow to the waste pipe 13. With the valve 9 in another position communication is established through the fittings 11 with the waste outlet 13, flow is established from the hard water supply pipe 12 to the pipe 14 and communication i cut off between the fittings 11 and inlet minal connection with a port 14a of the valve 8 and the 2,796,177 Patented June 18, 1957 pipe 15 is connected to a port 15a of the valve 8. The casing for valve 8 also has a port 16 which communicates through a pipe 17 with the lower portion of the tank 7 and a port 18 through which soft water is supplied to a service pipe 19. The valve 8 has a longitudinally extending bore in which a plunger 20 is operative to control the flow to and from the several ports. This plunger is biased toward the water softening position shown in Fig. 3 by a compression spring 21 which is confined in an end portion of the bore between an end of the plunger 20 and a threaded closure plug 22. Mounted in annular grooves in the plunger 20 are sealing rings 23, 24 and 25 which slidably fit in the bore to separate the several passages for liquid. Sealing rings 26 are also carried by the plunger 20 to prevent the escape of liquid along the plunger toward the left end of the casing as seen in Fig. 3. Beyond these rings to the left, the valve casing is formed with a chamber 27 containing a member 28 of the plunger 20. The plunger projects from the end of the valve casing and is fitted with a manually operable knob 29 exteriorly of the casing.

Mounted on the valve 8 and extending above the outer end portion'of the plunger 20 is a housing 30 containing time control mechanism which may comprise a control such as that described and claimed in the application of Lynn G. Lindsay for patent Serial No. 210,273, new Patent No. 2,689,006. This time control mechanism includes suitable clock mechanism in the housing 30 and a manually operable pointer 31 fixed on a spindle adapted to be turned in relation to a dial on the face of the housing 30. When the pointer 31 is turned in one direction it winds the clock mechanism and, by reference to the dial, indicates preselected periods of time for the regenerating and backwashing operations. The clock mechanism is operatively connected to a latch member 32 (Figs. 3 and 5) which is vertically movable and spring biased upward, as more fully described in the above-mentioned application for patent Serial No. 210,273.

Anti-friction rollers 33 are carried by the lower end portion of the latch member 32 and one of these rollers is adapted to selectively engage shoulders 34 and 35 which are formed on the member 28 of the plunger 20. The valve 8 may be held in regenerating position by thrusting the plunger inward to a position where one of the rollers 33 of the latch member 32 is positioned in the path of the shoulder 35. To complete the latching operation, the time control pointer 31 is turned to a position indicating the period of time required for regenerating of the softener. When the pointer 31 is turned to such a position, the latch member 32 is moved downward into the path of the shoulder 35 on the plunger member 28.

The plunger 20 may be turned about its axis to selectively place either the shoulder 34 or the shoulder 35 in position for engagement with the latch member 32. Thus for backwashing, the plunger is turned and pushed inward to the position where it will be held by the latch roller 33 in engagement with the shoulder 34, as indicated in Fig. 5. Since the shoulder 34 is formed at one side only of the plunger, the latter should be turned through an angle of about degrees from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 when it is desired to engage the latch member 32 with the shoulder 35 and thereby set the timing mechanism for regenerating operation.

As indicated in full lines in Fig. 3, during water softening operation, the valve 8 being supplied with soft water from the lower portion of the tank at port 16, allows flow to the port 18, and thence to the service pipe 19, the sealing ring 23 being in position to cut off communication between the port 14a and the port 18, and the sealing ring 25 being in position to cut off flow to an annular passage 36 and other passages communicating with the port 15a and pipe 15.

During regeneration, when the latch member 32 by engagement with the shoulder 35 retains the plunger in the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3, hard water entering through the pipe 12 flows through a portion of .the valve casing 9, then through the pipe 14, port 14a, a restricted passage 37 in the valve 8 to the port 18 and service pipe 19, and also through the valve 9, fittings 11 and to the upper portion of the tank, then down through the body of softening material and out through the pipe 17, port 16, passage 36, a restricted passage 38 (Fig. 4), port 15a, pipe 15 and waste outlet 13. The rate of flow during regeneration is regulated by the size of the passage 38 which is formed in a compressible cylindrical rubber or rubber-like body 39 which is confined in a tubular member 40. A substantially uniform, predetermined rate of flow is obtained because changes in the fluid pressure in the passage 36 result in corresponding changes in the size of the restricted passage 38. The upper end of this passage is in continuous communication with the port 15a. Access to the flow regulating device may be gained by the removal of a threaded plug 41. A sealing ring 42 is confined in an annular groove in the member 40 to prevent by-passing of the restricted passage 38.

The rate of flow through the passage 37 is responsive to the pressure on the lower end of a resilient, compressible member 43 which is mounted in a branch of the casing for the valve 8. The upper end of the passage 37 communicates with the port 14a through a passage 44 formed in a hollow cylindrical member 45. Access to the members 43 and 45 may be gained by the removal of a threaded plug 46.

Summary of operation During water softening, hard water entering through the pipe 12 is conducted by the valve 9 to the upper portion of the tank 6 through the fittings 11. The water passes down through the body of softening material in the tank 6 and the soft water is conducted through the pipe 17 to the valve 8. The plunger 20 of this valve, being in the position indicated in Fig. 3, the soft water flows from the port 16 through the passages connecting it to the port 18 sothat soft water is supplied to the service pipe 19.

To regenerate, the manual valve 9 is actuated to close communication between the supply pipe 12 and fittings 11 and to connect the fittings 11 to the drain outlet 13. This relieves pressure in the tank and allows excess water to drain off to the waste outlet. Thereupon, the cap 7 is removed, a charge of regenerating material is placed in the upper portion of the tank and the cap 7 is replaced. As the next step, the valve 9 is actuated to its normal position in which hard water from the pipe 12 is caused 1 to flow through valve 9 and fittings 11 into the upper por tion of the tank where it dissolves the regenerating material and carries the solution or brine down through the body of softening material.

After thus setting the valve 9, the operator thrusts the plunger 20 inward in such angular position as to permit the latch member 32 to engage the shoulder 35 and, while holding the plunger in its inwardly extended position against the action of the spring 21, the knob and hand 31 of the timing mechanism is turned to such position in relation to the dial as to indicate a regenerating period of suitable duration. Turning the knob 31 also forces the latch 32 downward into the path of the shoulder 35 thereby securing the plunger 20 in the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3. This places the port 14a and the passages 37 and 44 in communication with the service pipe 19 through the port 18, providing hard water by-pass to service, and cuts off communication between the ports 18 and 16 by means of the sealing ring 24. When in this position the plunger also places the port 16 in communication with the passage 36 leading to restricted passage 38, port 15a, pipe 15 and waste outlet 13.

The spent brine and impurities are now carried up through the pipe 17 to port 16, through passages 36 and 38 to the port 15a and then through pipe 15 and valve 9 to the waste outlet 13. Ordinarily the rate of flow during regeneration should be relatively slow and the diameter of the passage 38 is such as to afford a suitably low rate of flow irrespective of the pressure of the liquid in the passage 36;

At the end of the predetermined period for regeneration, the time control causes the latch member 32 to be withdrawn automatically from the path of the shoulder 35 so that the spring 21 returns the plunger to its initial water softening position.

To backwash, assuming that the valves are in position for water softening operation, the plunger 20 is turned, if necessary, to such position as to bring the shoulder 34 in alignment with the latch member 32, as shown in Fig. 5, and then the plunger thrust inward while the knob 31 is set by reference to the dial on the casing 36 for the period of time required for backwashing. This causes the latch member 32 to engage the shoulder 34, as indicated in Fig. 5. The valve 9 is actuated to cut off direct communication between the pipe 12 and fittings 11 and to establish communication between the fittings 11 and waste outlet 13. Thereupon water from the pipe 12 flows through pipe 14 to port 14a and through passages 44 and 37 to the port 18 and also to port 16 and through pipe 17 into the lower portion of the tank 6 and upward through the body of softening material. Sealing ring 25 cuts off passage 16 from passage 36. Solid impun'ties that have previously been deposited in the softening material are entrained in the backwash stream and carried out from the upper portion of the tank through the fittings 11, valve 9 and waste outlet 13. The rate of flow during backwashing is determined by the size of the passage 37 and restriction of this passage, which is approximately inversely proportional to the fluid pressure upon the lower end of the resilient, compressible member 43.

At the end of the backwash period, the time control causes the latch member 32 to be withdrawn from engagement with the shoulder 34 on the member 28 with the result that the spring 21 returns the plunger to its water softening position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. This cuts off the supply of water to the service pipe 19. In order to supply soft water, after backwashing, the valve 9 is returned to its normal water softening position thereby supplying hard water to the upper portion of the tank through the fittings 11 and cutting off flow from the upper portion of the tank to the waste outlet 13. My automatic control of the duration of the backwashing treatment, as determined by the setting of the time control mechanism, affords highly efiicient and thorough backwashing and eliminates the need for close attention and skill on the part of the operator.

My improved controls have the further advantages of simplicity, low cost and adaptability for use where local water supplies vary widely in pressure as well as in the nature and quantities of the impurities that are to be removed.

I claim:

1. In a control for water softening apparatus having a tank containing a body of softening material, valve mechanism connected respectively to a source of Water, to the upper and lower portions of said tank and to waste and service outlets, and means for actuating said valve mechanism to a first position in which flow from said source of water is established in one direction through Hie body of softening material and thence to the service outlet, said valve mechanism having manually operable means for selectively actuating said valve mechanism to a second position in which the lower portion of the tank is connected to the waste outlet for regenerating operation,

and to a third position wherein the lower portion of the tank is connected to said source of water for backwashing operation, securing means for selectively retaining said valve mechanism in said second or third positions, time control means and means operatively connecting said time control means to said securing means, said time control means being adapted to be selectively set to release said securing means to determine the duration of the regenerating operation and the duration of the backwashing operation.

2. In a control for water softening apparatus having a tank containing a body of softening material and valve mechanism connected respectively to a source of Water, the upper and lower portions of said tank and to waste and service outlets, said valve mechanism comprising, a first valve having ports connected to said source of water, to the waste outlet and to the upper portion of the tank respectively, a second valve having inlet and outlet ports connected to said first valve and another port connected to the lower portion of the tank, said first valve being movable to a first position in which said source of water is connected to the upper portion of the tank, and to a second position in which said source of water is connected to said inlet port of the second valve, and wherein said outlet port of said second valve is connected to said waste outlet, said second valve being movable to a first position in which the lower portion of the tank is connected to said service outlet, said second valve being movable to a second position in which the lower portion of the tank is connected to the outlet port of said second valve, said second valve being movable to a third position in which its inlet port is connected to the lower portion of the tank and its outlet port is closed for backwashing operation, means biasing said second valve toward said first position for softening operation, time control means, and

6 means operatively connecting said time control means to said second valve and adapted to retain it in either of said second or third positions and to release it after predetermined periods of time whereby said regenerating operation and backwashing operation may be selectively and automatically terminated.

3. A control in accordance with claim 2 wherein said second valve has a longitudinally movable plunger, spring means biasing said plunger toward said first position to establish flow for the softening operation, said plunger being selectively movable to said second position to establish flow for regenerating operation and to said third position to establish flow for backwashing operation, and wherein said time control means includes latch mechanism operatively connected to said plunger and adapted to be selecitvely set manually to determine the duration of said regenerating operation and the duration of said backwashing operation.

4. A control in accordance with claim 3 wherein said plunger is formed with longitudinally spaced shoulders which are severally engageable with said latch mechanism to retain said valve mechanism selectively in positions for regenerating and backwashing operations respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,966,567 Stoner July 17, 1934 2,188,487 Sharp Jan. 30, 1940 2,396,809 Addison Mar. 19, 1946 2,454,929 Kempton Nov. 30, 1948 2,506,711 Evans May 9, 1950 2,571,000 Albertson Oct. 9, 1951 2,610,147 Lindsay Sept. 9, 1952 2,673,182 I-Iintz Mar. 23, 1954 

